Projects Mid Life Crisis 62 Vette

I agree, Jim you may want to check runout. Love that lego car.

 

Last time I changed one I got a NOS GM one and put it in a vacuum chamber with some oil to load it up.

 

I found an old bushing in a box of hardware...it's not magnetic. The one I removed, and the two new ones I have, are. Interesting. The old one is used, but intact, although it feels a slight bit looser on the pilot than the new ones.

I'll put an indicator on the flywheel and see if the hole in the bellhousing is centered.

I'll also go shopping in town and see what parts I can find.

 

I had indexed my bellhousing but still had that pilot bearing issue I mentioned yesterday.

 

If the trans shifted like butter I would doubt a misalignment issue....

 

I visited the local parts store that's been in town a while. He had 3 Dorman 690-014 bushings in the box. I brought my magnet along...the two that looked like brass don't stick, the other one does. I bought the two that don't.

Still working my way up to getting under there and installing the bellhousing and indicator...

 

I agree. No reason a pilot bush should have ferrous metal in it...except maybe cheaper to produce. I'm getting really tired of trying to find decent parts. The stuff in the salvage yards is better than the stuff in the new box.

Jim, why is the face of the old bushing and the flywheel surface immediately around it scuffed?

Terry

 

I think it's just an optical dilusion, all that powder all over it? I'll double check that the disc/shaft isn't hitting it.

Anyways, the bellhousing alignment checks out, 0.002" TIR.

edit: The end of the crank is not machined smooth, perhaps that's why it looks scuffed

 

Jim, it may just be my eye but is the bushing you just removed the same color as the iron ones (or maybe just having more iron content) in your photo? I did sintered metals at GM’s locomotive division for 20 years and bronze was pressed with less tonnage to provide more porosity. In addition typically bushings and thrust washers/bearings would be vacuum impregnated, the extra porosity retains oil.

 

I thought the end of the crank looked scuffed too but you can see oil strakes over the top of the marks so it can’t have happened recently.

 

The one I removed is an iron impregnated bushing.

 

Must not have been properly impregnated

 

Far East made parts may be made incorrectly due to the manufacture trying to pocket more profit by skimping on materials. There is also a culture where they are not going to be progressive. A glaring problem that could be readily fixed in a process, that costs nothing, will not be addressed or corrected unless an outside person, usually the company that is contracting the work, sends a rep to correct the problem. And if no one complains about the product both manufacture and company will just keep making the same junk.

Picked up a 'Spectre' new dist for a 385 series. It was available same day, rebuilt unit was a week out. Besides the cap and rotor, nothing was standard. Even the points were not a Ford replacement type. And nothing was tight, points and condenser were loosely attached. Cam for points operation was octagonish in shape and notably smaller in size. Attempted to cobble a working distributor using parts from new and old, no chance.

 

Just my two cents on removal of the pilot shaft bushing.

Couple months ago I did need to remove one on my 350 sbc.
In the past I have used many different processes with success.

This time I wanted to try the bread theory and see if it works.

I had a 1/4 loaf ready for the trash .... I filled the hole with bread and used a random head bolt from some vehicle .... I pounded the bread flat then added more bread and repeated the process .... within a few minutes the bushing in the 1991 engine popped right out.

Note to self: .... Next morning there was a whole pile of ants under the truck eating the crumbs.
Next time be more efficient cleaning up the mess .... lying in a pile of ants under a truck installing a new clutch is not ideal ....

 

Haha…I tried the bread trick last time as well and it worked like a charm. I smacked a sbc fuel pump rod to compress it. Not sure I had the ant side affect though. The car was on my lift though so I would have been less likely to notice.

 

I guess I'll try bread next time. Does it work when the bushing is really wallered out?

Time for a test drive. It's almost convertible weather here....

 

Can’t answer the wallered out question since the one I changed wasn’t too bad actually.

 

The key is to be sure whatever you are using to compress the bread is fairly tight in the bearing. Did this on my 56 when we installed the tremec 5 sp. Worked like a charm. Whoda thunk. I used a snowmobile clutch puller and ground it till it fit into bearing. I didnt have my lathe or it would have been butter.

 

Wet toilet paper works good and isn’t messy….

 

Since we’re into robbing the bathroom.

 

Jim, really glad the runout was good. I hesitated even mentioning it, because you've been there, done that a lot more than me. When you are asking a question, I know it's not something dead simple, it's from a 'scratching my head here' place.

 

So it should be new?

 

Your Vette during recent Hot Rod tour (Irwindale) is on YouTube’s Merlin's Old School Garage. Can’t link it, too many off topic vehicles.

 

I saw the 40 Delivery the first night at the hotel...and talked with them at Pomona a few minutes. This is at Irwindale, I was tinkering with the ignition at the time.

 

Yes it'll work on a wallered out one, but I had to make a proper size steel dowel to fit the wallered out hole. I went with a needle bearing instead of bushing this time around. Time will tell how it works compared to the bushing. On the axle bearings, is there a machined surface in the housing to put an extra axle seal on the axle. I know some Ford 9" housings have that option on them as to not just rely on the sealed bearing.

 

No where to put a seal on this rear, I don't think. I went through that on a 9" in my 55, I was able to add a seal to the side that kept leaking.

New bearings should be here Thursday, and I ordered some replacement seals also, just to see if they look better than what comes in the bearings. I ordered SKF brand bearings, wonder where they're made?

Went for a nice drive into town today, about 50 degrees out....top down, heavy jacket, gloves, heater on, I was very comfortable.

Oh, I've been working on the interior, too. I decided to spruce it up, ordered new red door panels and seat covers. Seat covers are still being made (I think), but the panels are here, so I installed one. Still need to add the little piece of trim to the kick panel.

 

SKF bearings are made in Sweden and France.